JOSE FAUSTINO SANCHEZ CARRION UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE INSTITUTE

FROM SINGULAR NOUNS TO PLURAL NOUNS

SPELLING RULES:

It´s very important to learn this grammar point for when we want to turn nouns from singular to
plural.
I. The easiest way to change singular nouns into plural nouns is to add an –s.
For example:
1.- Car becomes cars. Note: However, there
2.- Hat becomes hats. are some exceptions.
3.- Computer becomes computers. You can notice them in
4.- Cap becomes caps. the next spelling rules.
5.- Tree becomes trees.

ENGLISH MEANING ENGLISH MEANING

Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
book books libro libros wallet wallets billetera billeteras
calculator calculators calculadora calculadoras rubber rubbers borrador borradores
rucksack rucksacks mochila mochilas jar jars pote/tarro potes/tarros
pencil pencils lápiz lápices boat boats bote botes
tie ties corbata corbatas button buttons botón botones
ruler rulers regla reglas ship ships barco barcos
house houses casa casas window windows ventana ventanas
whale whales ballena ballenas hut huts choza chozas
shark sharks tiburón tiburones sparrow sparrows gorrión gorriones
stapler staplers grapadora grapadoras eagle eagles águila águilas
notebook notebooks cuaderno cuadernos bottle bottles botella botellas

PROFESSOR: JORGE RESURRECCIÓN NORABUENA

COURSE: BRITISH ENGLISH
LEVEL: ELEMENTAL/ CYCLE: I 1
TOPIC: PLURAL OF NOUNS
 JOSE FAUSTINO SANCHEZ CARRION UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE INSTITUTE

II. If the noun ends in –sh, –ch, –s,–x, or –z then add –es.

ENGLISH MEANING ENGLISH MEANING

Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
bus buses bus buses peach peaches melocotón melocotones
waitress waitresses moza mozas bench benches banca bancas
class classes clase clases match matches fósforo fósforos
boss bosses jefe jefes cockroach cockroaches cucaracha cucarachas
miss misses señorita señoritas sandwich sandwiches emparedado emparedados
kiss kisses beso besos wish wishes deseo deseos
glass glasses vaso vasos crash crashes choque choques
cross crosses cruz cruces dish dishes plato platos
mass masses misa misas eyelash eyelashes pestaña pestañas
witch witches bruja brujas bush bushes arbusto arbustos
watch watches reloj relojes brush brushes cepillo cepillos
church churches iglesia iglesias fox foxes zorro zorros
torch torches linterna linternas fax faxes fax faxes
couch couches sofá sofás box boxes caja cajas
coach coaches entrenador entrenadores buzz buzzes zumbido zumbidos
branch branches rama ramas waltz waltzes vals valses
beach beaches playa playas

III. If the noun ends in –y with a vowel before it, just add –s.

ENGLISH MEANING ENGLISH MEANING

Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
boy boys muchacho muchachos way ways camino caminos
toy toys juguete juguetes tray trays bandeja bandejas
ray rays rayo rayos turkey turkeys pavo pavos
highway highways carretera carreteras play plays obra obras
delay delays retraso retrasos guy guys tipo tipos
day days día días alleyway alleyways callejón callejones
jockey jockeys jinete jinetes monkey monkeys mono monos
viceroy viceroys virrey virreyes passageway passageways pasaje pasajes
día de días de
weekday weekdays ashtray ashtrays cenicero ceniceros
semana semana

PROFESSOR: JORGE RESURRECCIÓN NORABUENA

COURSE: BRITISH ENGLISH
LEVEL: ELEMENTAL/ CYCLE: I 2
TOPIC: PLURAL OF NOUNS
 JOSE FAUSTINO SANCHEZ CARRION UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE INSTITUTE

IV. If the noun ends in –y with a consonant before it, change the –y into –i and then add –es.

ENGLISH MEANING ENGLISH MEANING

Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
trophy trophies trofeo trofeos category categories categoría categorías
family families familia familias ally allies aliado aliados
party parties fiesta fiestas canary canaries canario canarios
dictionary dictionaries diccionario diccionarios theory theories teoría teorías
secretary secretaries secretaria secretarias nappy nappies pañal pañales
army armies ejército ejércitos colony colonies colonia colonias
activity activities actividad actividades lorry lorries camión camiones
baby babies bebé bebés melody melodies melodía melodías
fly flies mosca moscas nanny nannies nana nanas
country countries país países poppy poppies amapola amapolas
anniversary anniversaries aniversario aniversarios daisy daisies margarita margaritas
study studies estudio estudios pony ponies poni ponis
lady ladies dama/señora damas/señoras bully bullies matón matones
try tries intento intentos variety varieties variedad variedades
spy spies espía espías reply replies respuesta respuestas
story stories cuento cuentos puppy puppies cachorro cachorros
enemy enemies enemigo enemigos mystery mysteries misterio misterios

V. If the noun ends in –f or fe, change –f or –fe into –ve and then add –s.

ENGLISH MEANING ENGLISH MEANING

Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
wolf wolves lobo lobos shelf shelves repisa repisas
loaf loaves pan panes thief thieves ratero rateros
half halves mitad mitades elf elves duende duendes
calf calves becerro becerros werewolf werewolves hombre lobo hombres lobo
leaf leaves hoja hojas wife wives esposa esposas
knife knives cuchillo cuchillos life lives vida vidas
housewife housewives ama de casa amas de casa penknife penknives navaja navajas
midwife midwives partera parteras bookshelf bookshelves estante estantes

PROFESSOR: JORGE RESURRECCIÓN NORABUENA

COURSE: BRITISH ENGLISH
LEVEL: ELEMENTAL/ CYCLE: I 3
TOPIC: PLURAL OF NOUNS
 JOSE FAUSTINO SANCHEZ CARRION UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE INSTITUTE

VI. If the noun ends in –f, –ff, –fe, or –ffe; just add –s.

ENGLISH MEANING ENGLISH MEANING

Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
cliff cliffs acantilado acantilados giraffe giraffes girafa girafas
muff muffs manguito manguitos chief chiefs jefe jefes
cuff cuffs puño de camisa puños de camisa roof roofs techo techos
reef reefs arrecife arrecifes gulf gulfs golfo golfos
safe safes caja fuerte cajas fuertes chef chefs chef chefs
earmuff earmuffs orejera orejeras proof proofs prueba pruebas
belief beliefs creencia creencias

VII. Some nouns ending in –f have two plural forms.

ENGLISH MEANING ENGLISH MEANING

Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
dwarf dwarf/dwarves enano enanos hoof hoofs/hooves pezuña pezuñas
handkerchiefs/
scarf scarf/scarves bufanda bufandas handkerchief pañuelo pañuelos
handkerchieves
wharf wharf/wharves muelle muelles

VIII. If the noun ends in a vowel plus –o just add –s. However, some special nouns do not follow this rule.
You need to memorise them.
ENGLISH MEANING ENGLISH MEANING
Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
stereo stereos estéreo estéreos tattoo tattoos tatuaje tatuajes
video videos vídeo vídeos radio radios radio radios
zoo zoos zoológico zoológicos kangaroo kangaroos canguro canguros
shampoo shampoos champú champús audio audios audio audios
Exceptions
photo photos foto fotos piano pianos piano pianos
auto autos auto autos kilo kilos kilo kilos
memo memos memorándum memos

PROFESSOR: JORGE RESURRECCIÓN NORABUENA

COURSE: BRITISH ENGLISH
LEVEL: ELEMENTAL/ CYCLE: I 4
TOPIC: PLURAL OF NOUNS
 JOSE FAUSTINO SANCHEZ CARRION UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE INSTITUTE

IX. If the noun ends in a consonant plus –o, then we normally add –es.

ENGLISH MEANING ENGLISH MEANING

Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
tomato tomatoes tomate tomates echo echoes eco ecos
potato potatoes papa papas embargo embargoes embargo embargos
hero heroes héroe héroes torpedo torpedoes torpedo torpedos

X. Nouns that have two plural forms.

ENGLISH MEANING ENGLISH MEANING

Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
cargo cargos/cargoes cargamento cargamentos mango mangos/mangoes mango mangos
volcano volcanos/volcanoes volcán volcanes mosquito mosquitos/mosquitoes mosquito mosquitos
tornado tornados/tornadoes tornado tornados buffalo buffalos/buffaloes búfalo búfalos
motto mottos/mottoes lema lemas

XI. Some nouns form their plurals irregularly.

ENGLISH MEANING ENGLISH MEANING

Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
man men hombre hombres goose geese ganso gansos
woman women mujer mujeres mouse mice ratón ratones
child children hijo/niño hijos/niños louse lice piojo piojos
ox oxen buy bueyes datum data dato datos
sheep sheep oveja ovejas foot feet pie pies
deer deer ciervo ciervos bacterium bacteria bacteria bacterias
fish fish pez peces phenomenon phenomena fenómeno fenómenos
species species especie especies criterion criteria criterio criterios
tooth teeth diente/muela dientes/muelas

PROFESSOR: JORGE RESURRECCIÓN NORABUENA

COURSE: BRITISH ENGLISH
LEVEL: ELEMENTAL/ CYCLE: I 5
TOPIC: PLURAL OF NOUNS
 JOSE FAUSTINO SANCHEZ CARRION UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE INSTITUTE

Exercises
I. Write the correct form of the plural.

1. City ________________.
2. House ________________.
3. Boy ________________.
4. Family ________________.
5. Life ________________.
6. Photo ________________.
7. Phone ________________.
8. Sandwich ________________.
9. Nurse ________________.
10. Elf ________________.
11. Phenomenon ________________.
12. Criterion ________________.
13. Village ________________.
14. Toy ________________.

II. Rewrite the sentences below correctly.

1. These person are presidents. ______________________________________

2. The woman over there is the manager of this pub. ______________________________________
3. My child aren´t in the classroom. ______________________________________
4. I am ill. My foot are wet. ______________________________________
5. Their two sheep in the garden isn´t dangerous. ______________________________________
6. His tooth are small. ______________________________________
7. The student are absent from school. ______________________________________
8. The fish are in a big fish tank. ______________________________________
9. They is two handsome man. ______________________________________
10. Where´s the knifes? ______________________________________
11. Goose like water. ______________________________________
12. Piano are expensive ______________________________________
13. Where is the loafs? ______________________________________

PROFESSOR: JORGE RESURRECCIÓN NORABUENA

COURSE: BRITISH ENGLISH
LEVEL: ELEMENTAL/ CYCLE: I 6
TOPIC: PLURAL OF NOUNS
 JOSE FAUSTINO SANCHEZ CARRION UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE INSTITUTE

III. What is the plural form of the following words? Find them in the puzzle.

PROFESSOR: JORGE RESURRECCIÓN NORABUENA

COURSE: BRITISH ENGLISH
LEVEL: ELEMENTAL/ CYCLE: I 7
TOPIC: PLURAL OF NOUNS
 JOSE FAUSTINO SANCHEZ CARRION UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE INSTITUTE

IV. Find the 13 words hidden in the word search and march them with the pictures. Then write the plural forms
of these words into the crossword puzzle.

PROFESSOR: JORGE RESURRECCIÓN NORABUENA

COURSE: BRITISH ENGLISH
LEVEL: ELEMENTAL/ CYCLE: I 8
TOPIC: PLURAL OF NOUNS
 JOSE FAUSTINO SANCHEZ CARRION UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE INSTITUTE

V. Solve the exercises below.

PROFESSOR: JORGE RESURRECCIÓN NORABUENA

COURSE: BRITISH ENGLISH
LEVEL: ELEMENTAL/ CYCLE: I 9
TOPIC: PLURAL OF NOUNS
 JOSE FAUSTINO SANCHEZ CARRION UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE INSTITUTE

VI. Fill in the puzzle with the plural form of each word.

PROFESSOR: JORGE RESURRECCIÓN NORABUENA

COURSE: BRITISH ENGLISH
LEVEL: ELEMENTAL/ CYCLE: I 10
TOPIC: PLURAL OF NOUNS